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Tuesday, April 19, 2011

918studio releases Tsagaris’ "Sappho, I should have listened"

Sappho, I should have listened, a collection of poetry by Rock Island native and writer, Ellen Tsagaris, was released today by 918studio. The chapbook is Tsagaris’ first collection of poetry. Cover design for the collection was by Decker Ploehn II of Rivertown Creative, a design cooperative of sarahthronedesign.com and deckerploehndesign.com.
Tsagaris will read from her collection at a chapbook launch party and book signing to be held from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, at the Midwest Writing Center. The event will be held in the third floor conference room of the Bucktown Center of the Arts at 225 East 2nd Street, Davenport. The public is invited and refreshments will be available.

Tsagaris is a Quad Cities area college professor and an advocate for community-based poetry. She has written poetry since childhood and her work has appeared in several periodicals. She will also serve as mentor for the 2012 Collins Poetry Residency, an annual competition that allows a regional poet to serve in residence at the Midwest Writing Center in support of community-based poetry during National Poetry Month.

Roald Tweet of Rock Island Lines, WVIK 90.3fm, had early praise for Sappho: “In the title poem for this collection, Ellen Tsagaris muses that she should have listened to Sappho (a reference to her Greek roots). Fortunately, she did not. She realizes, as she says in the poem, ‘River Lines,’ the wine-dark seas and white beaches are not for her. Her heart, her inspiration, and her home is the Mississippi with its beer-colored water and its gritty, graveled banks. Rather than the flute and pan pipes of high poetry, she brings a whole orchestra of instruments: praise, parody, satire, romance, irony, awe, metrical and free verse. Perhaps Sappho should have listened to Ellen Tsagaris.”

Sappho, I should have listened is available for purchase at the Midwest Writing Center and on Amazon.com.

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The Midwest Writing Center helps writers develop their craft, find audiences and establish a writing community where they can learn and grow in a supportive environment. Through public readings, workshops, critique groups, contests, publications and partnerships, the Center enriches the community with its emphasis on literary arts and education.